When A Nightmare Becomes A Dream
by bittersweetblonde
Summary: Lucas has been on self destruct mode since Lindsay left him at the alter, but will saying three little words to Peyton be enough to make him stop?


Hey everyone! It's been a while since I last wrote anything, but a little bit of heartbreak this week really gave me the inspiration to write this Leyton Oneshot. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**When A Nightmare Becomes A Dream**

Lucas Scott squinted as the North Carolina sunshine woke him from his deep drunken slumber. He had a pounding headache and stunk like a brewery. Letting himself come around, he realised he was in the bedroom of his house, but how he'd gotten there, he had no idea? That was the story of his life at the moment though, every night was the same. He'd head down to Tric, get wasted and wake up the next day not remembering much. The reason for his out of character behaviour lately was Lindsay, the woman he thought he'd be married to right now. She'd said no to him at the alter of all places, convinced that his heart didn't love her as much as it loved someone else...that someone else being Peyton Sawyer.

As he lay in his bed, wallowing in the self pitty that had become his life, Lucas suddenly got a flashback of the night before. It was only a fuzzy image, but he remembered being helped home by somebody. Closing his eyes, hoping to get a clearer picture, he saw himself staggering along the streets of Tree Hill with his arm wrapped around a person's shoulder and he remembered almost falling over a few times. He figured the person helping him wasn't male, if it was Nathan or one of the guys, their strength would have carried his weight and that's when it hit him. Those legs. On one of the times he nearly caved the floor, he got a glimpse of naked legs, chickeny naked legs, legs that he could admire for hours. It was Peyton that had brought him home.

Where was she now though, was she still here...had something happened between them last night? Rolling over in his bed, Lucas noticed that the space next to him was empty and the house seemed too quiet for anyone else to be around, so that was those questions answered. Peyton had obviously seen him to the door and gone home to Brooke's.

Dragging himself out of bed, he headed to the kitchen, took some asprin and tried to eat something. As he sat at the table picking at his food though, he noticed he was in just his boxers. Usually he'd wake up in the clothes he had on the night before? Maybe Peyton hadn't just dropped him off like he'd thought? His head was a mass of confusion and he mentally told himself that this heavy drinking night after night was going to have to stop soon. It wasn't until he walked back into his bedroom a little while later that he found the shirt, tie and trousers he'd been wearing the day before scattered on the floor, there were no other clothes though just his? Sighing, trying to piece together what had happened last night, he sat down on his bed and his mind suddenly triggered something. The bed. He'd fell on this bed last night...backwards with Peyton on top of him and he was pretty sure she'd been the one to scatter his clothes on the floor...but it still wasn't adding up? She was nowhere to be seen now and it didn't appear that she'd left a note, plus he'd known Peyton a long time and she wouldn't have taken advantage of his drunken state.

Giving up, he decided to go have a shower, something he was ashamed to say he hadn't had many of in the last few days. Staring at his appearance in the bathroom mirror, he hated what he saw staring back at him and then like a bolt of lightning it all came flooding back. Hate. Sinking his head into his hands, he remembered it as clear as day...

_"Oh Luke, I'm so sorry." She said while stroking his hair as he slept. "I didn't want this for you." She added and then placed a soft kiss to his forehead before making her way to the door._

_"Peyton?" Luke murmered, half asleep, half drunk. She turned to look at him, a small smile playing on her lips. "I hate you." He told her in seriousness._

_Her smile dropped, she was shocked, had he just said those words? "What?" She whispered._

_"I wish you never came back, you ruined my life." He said and then turned over to sleep off all the alcohol he'd consumed. The last thing he heard was the door close._

Now it all made sence! She'd got him home last night, helped undress him and got him into bed to sleep it all off! It also explained the reason why nothing had happened between them like he'd first assumed and why she wasn't there when he woke up!

Having the quickest shower of his life, he then scrubbed his appearance up, grabbed some clean clothes and headed to Brooke's place. He needed to see Peyton and fast!

* * *

Hearing the door bang loudly, Brooke cursed to herself. She'd only just got a crying baby Angie off to sleep!

"Bang a little louder why don't you!" She said as she opened the door. To her surprise, Lucas pushed past her calling out for Peyton?

"Woah there Broody, you bang on my door like a cop and then march into my house shouting like a trooper? I have a sleeping baby upstairs!" She said while grabbing his arm. He was going around like a headless chicken!

"Sorry, sorry. Is Peyton here?" He asked, calming down a little, but the panic soon rose as Brooke shook her head.

"No, she's not been home all night actually..."

"What? Well where is she? When did you last hear from her?" He cut in with a face full of worry.

"Well if you'd given me the chance to finish..." She said with a sigh before carrying on. "She called and said she had a heavy workload and would be working through the night. To be honest though I thought she was just saying that to get away from another sleepless night here, but now I'm thinking something altogether different. What's happened between the two of you?" She questioned with a smirk.

"You really don't wanna know, I just need to find her. Did she say when she'd be back?" He asked and Brooke shook her head. "Alright, well I'm gonna head to Red Bedroom, but if she turns up here, call me." He added and then made his way to the door.

"Hey Luke." She said and he turned around to look at her. "What I asked you the other week before the wedding?" She said and Luke nodded knowing what was coming. Him and Brooke had been stood in the exact same places as they were now when Brooke had asked him that question and this time he wasn't going to avoid it, infact she didn't even have to ask it this time round.

"Yeah I do...I do still love her." He admitted and Brooke smiled.

"You go get your girl then Lucas Scott!" She told him and he walked out of the door hoping he'd be able to find her at the label.

* * *

Hearing footsteps make their way into the building, Haley looked around to see her best friend and smiled.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" She asked and Lucas scratched the back of his neck. He seemed to be finding every girl expect the one he was looking for.

"I heard Peyton might be here." He said and Haley frowned.

"No, she called me first thing saying she was taking the day off, that's why I'm here." Haley explained and Luke's heart rate settled a little. At least someone had heard from Peyton since last night.

"How did she sound on the phone?" He asked and Haley eyed him curiously.

"Normal...maybe a little off, but it was first thing and you know she's not the best morning person." She replied with a chuckle and then watched Luke take a seat on the pool table.

"Alright, what's going on?" She asked knowing him inside out.

"Hales, I've been an idiot...infact I've been a grade A dick!" He said.

"Yeah, well you've got no sympathy from me. I saw Nathan drink himself into oblivion when he was in that wheelchair feeling sorry for himself and lately you've been doing the same thing because Lindsay didn't marry you." She told him. "It looks like you've come to your sences though." She added. "You're usually sleeping off a hangover at this time of day and you actually smell like you've had a shower and found some clean clothes. So what gave you a wake up call?" She asked.

"Telling Peyton I hated her." He said and Haley's mouth dropped to the floor as she gasped.

"What? When? Why?" She asked and Lucas lept off the pool table and walked around with his arms resting at the back of his head.

"I was drunk, I was completely wasted! I'd downed shot after shot last night because Lindsay had called telling me she was seeing someone else, my basketball team were getting fouls for no reason and I lost it in the gym and got sent off! I ended up taking it all out on her when she, who out of the kindness of her heart by the way, helped me home from Tric!" He explained.

"Lucas." Haley sighed sympathetically. "She loves you!" She told him, feeling her own heart breaking for Peyton.

"Yeah? Well I wouldn't count on it so much anymore." He replied and then stopped pacing and sat down. "God Hales, I love her too, I love her so damn much, but I've screwed up again! Walking out on her in a hotel room was bad enough, but telling her I hate her? Hate is such a strong word, one I only use for someone like Dan!" He said.

"Ok listen to me, the reasons you said it aren't excuses, but she knows aswell as everyone that you're not the type of person that you have been lately." Haley tried but Lucas shook his head.

"I blamed all that on her though...after telling her I hated her, I told her I wished she'd never come back and that she ruined my life." He confessed and Haley closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

"Luke..."She started.

"I know ok! Like I said, I'm a grade A dick!" He told her.

"Have you tried calling her?" Haley asked and Luke shook his head.

"She's not gonna want to speak to me is she? Besides I'd rather apologise and talk things through with her face to face rather than over the phone. That's why I'm out looking for her. Brooke said she'd been here all night so I was expecting her to still be here now, but then you're telling me she's taken the day off, so where is she?" Luke sighed.

Just then Haley's phone rang, she apologised to Luke before taking it and then heard Nathan's voice on the other end. "Hey hubby, wassup?" She answered and Lucas grimaced at the term of endearmeant, it wasn't that he didn't like it, but it was what he always invisioned Peyton calling him one day.

"He's with me now actually and yeah something has happened with them, but I'll explain later when they've hopefully got their happy ending...yeah alright I'll tell him to come down, is she there now?" He heard Haley say into her phone and he looked at her with hope in his eyes, Nathan had obviously rung about something to do with Peyton. "Ok, I love you too." She said and then hung up.

"Does he know where she is?" Luke asked.

"No, but she must have gone to the Rivercourt earlier because Nathan's there now and reckons there's something you should see apparantly." She explained and Lucas feared the worst.

"Alright, well wish me luck. Knowing her and what I've done to her, it's probably a doll of me hanging from one of the nets!" He said and Haley just gave him a look before wishing him luck.

"Call me later jackass!" She added as he walked out of the building.

* * *

Nathan was busy shooting hoops when he saw his big brother approaching from the distance. "Quite the artist isn't she?" He said as Luke got near enough to read The Cure lyrics that now covered the concrete of the Rivercourt.

"Yeah..."He sighed as he took it all in. The 'I Will Always Love You's' gave him a little bit of hope that not everything was lost between them yet.

"So what's happened between you both?" Nathan asked as he watched his brother take a seat on the bleachers.

"What hasn't man? I mean when you think about it, we've been through everything right? Car crashes, psychos, shootings, a love triangle, being together, not being together, an almost engagement, a heart attack..." Lucas said.

"Yeah and when I look at you both I still see it you know, I've even seen it in all the bad stuff you've been through together." Nathan said as he joined him on the bleachers.

"Seen what?" Lucas squinted in confusion.

"That look you give each other." He told him, but Luke still looked puzzled. "Remember when I first challenged you right here on the Rivercourt all those years ago and we had that stupid bet?" Nathan asked and Luke nodded with a smile. "Well after the game, I heard you tell Peyton that you'd be seeing her and there was this look between the two of you. It's still there now Luke and I think it always will be." He said and Lucas shrugged.

"I screwed up in the worst way possible last night Nate." He admitted and Nathan just shook his head.

"Look no matter what you did, I think that proves otherwise." He said while pointing to Peyton's grafitti on the ground and Luke felt that little bit of hope come back to him as he looked at it again.

"You're right, look I'm gonna head off. See if I can find her." He told Nathan as he got up and Nate got up too and gave him a brotherly hug.

"You'll work it out, you're Lucas and Peyton and it's about time you got back together." He said and Luke smiled and thanked him before heading off.

* * *

It didn't take him long to work out where she'd gone and he was surprised he hadn't thought of it earlier, but before going there, he grabbed some things on his way. Apologising to Peyton wasn't going to be enough, he actually needed to show her how much he didn't hate her. Once he'd got what he needed, he walked into the cemetary and saw her sat down at her Mum's grave. She had her back to him and he kept his distance, but he was close enough to hear the conversation she was having with her Mum.

"I really wish you were here right now. My life's such a mess. I thought by coming back here I'd be able to be the girl I used to be. I was fearless back then, if someone said they hated me I wouldn't care...well maybe I'd care enough to kick their ass, but...what am I meant to do now? He said he hated me Mum, Luke said he hated me and you know what? He's got every right to! I didn't say yes when he proposed, god I even ran away when he first told me he wanted my heart! I paid the price for those mistakes though didn't I, seeing him with Brooke back then and with Lindsay all these years later. I think I even felt hurt and jealous when he got with Nikki and became close with Anna and they were hardly girlfriends. You know what really sucks though? What really sucks is the fact that I still love him and I don't know who's more stupid? Him for being a jerk by walking out of my life in a hotel room, inviting me to his wedding and then telling me he hates me or me for buying every damn copy of his book full of lies, going to his wedding and then confessing my love to him on the Rivercourt?"

Hearing her saying all of that broke Luke's heart, he never knew that's how she felt about Nikki or Anna and how could she think that his book was full of lies? Well actually he could in a way, the fight they'd had about it the other month which resulted in him nearly getting hit by one of the said books reminded him of that.

"You know what, I'm the stupid one, he moved on and got on with his life. Me? I just stayed stuck in the past. I've still got txts saved from him on my phone from years ago! How crazy is that? Oh and speaking of crazy, there's this mad part of my brain that imagines we'll get married one day, have kids and be this epic love story that he made us out to be..."

"I imagine it too." He suddenly said as he walked nearer. He'd heard enough of her torchuring herself and decided it was time to make his presence known.

Her head spun round in slight shock and then she stood up and wiped some tears that he hadn't seen away from her face. "Luke, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"I came to apologise about last night. I never meant any of it Peyton. I don't hate you, I could never hate you...you shouldn't hate yourself either." He told her and she frowned.

"How long have you been stood here?" She asked, obviously realising he'd heard the earlier part of her conversation.

"Long enough to hear you beating yourself up about everything." He replied.

"Yeah, well when someone tells you you've ruined their life, you start to question your own." She said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Peyton I'm sorry. It's no excuse, but I've been all over the place lately. I got wasted and said horrible things that I regret last night, but hopefully this will prove to you how much I don't hate you and how much you really mean to me..." He told her and then handed her the small tin tray he'd grabbed before coming here.

She looked at it confused and he told her to open it. "Me and Haley used to write predictions every year of stuff we wanted to happen. We'd put them in that tin, go onto the roof of my Mum's cafe and hide it behind a loose brick." He explained as she took the pieces of paper out and unfolded them.

"Peyton Sawyer will become Peyton Scott." She read outloud and he smiled.

"That was like 8th grade." He said.

"Make out with Peyton Sawyer...or more." She read and he laughed.

"Yeah I got a little cocky with that one." He told her.

"This year I'll talk to Peyton Sawyer." She read again and then looked at him.

"You know what else I still have?" He asked and she shook her head. "The Peyton box." He said and finally the smile that he hadn't seen since he'd been here came back. "I would have brought it with me, but it's getting pretty heavy these days." He added and she laughed.

"Lucas..." She started but Luke wouldn't let her finish.

"No you need to hear all this." He told her before continuing "Earlier, I heard you say how you felt jealous and hurt when I was with Nikki and Anna aswell as Brooke and Lindsay, well guess what? I felt the same when you were with Nathan, Jake and even Pete from Fall Out Boy!" He confessed and she raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Plus I'm the guy that saves you, if I hated you, why would I have beaten the crap out of the jerk that spiked your drink all those years ago, or gone back into the school and got you out when you'd been shot or saved you from that psycho 'brother' of yours...all this stuff Peyton, all these things, it's a lifetime's worth! I know I've strayed from us in the past, but Brooke, Nikki and Lindsay are nothing compared to you! Lindsay was right at the wedding, The Comet, it's about you! You coming back to Tree Hill, it didn't ruin my life, it gave it meaning again! I was wrong to have said 'I do' to her when it's always been you! I love you Peyton, I've always loved you." Luke told her and she stayed silent for a few seconds, taking in everything he'd said.

"I love you too." She finally replied. "I always will." She added and Lucas just smiled.

"I know, I've seen the Rivercourt." He told her with a chuckle.

"So what does this mean? Where do we go from here?" She asked and he fished around in his back pocket for the other thing he'd picked up on his way here.

"Well...I know to most people this isn't the most romantic of places to be doing this, but seeing as your Mum and my Uncle Keith are nearby, I can't think of a better place..." Luke said and then got down on one knee with Keith's ring in his hand.

"Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, will you..."

"Yes!" She gasped.

"You didn't let me..."

"When I'm alseep I have this dream where we're back in that hotel room in L.A and you propose to me and every single time I say yes." She explained, cutting in again. "So yes Lucas, I'll marry you!" She told him with tears in her eyes and a beaming smile on her face.

Lucas wore the same expression as he slipped the ring on her finger and then got up, pulled her into him and kissed her with all the passion his body could muster.

"Looks like your 8th grade prediction has finally come true." She whispered as they pulled away and Lucas smiled while stroking her cheek.

"Looks like that dream of your's has too." He whispered back before kissing her again.


End file.
